Mr LANHUPUY - 1994-10-06
Mr Speaker, during his answer to the member for Casuarina, the Minister for Industries and Development made what I believe to be a pathetic and outrageous suggestion by saying that, once we get rid of land rights and Mabo, the Territory will be better off. Does the Chief Minister support his minister's statement in that regard?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, obviously I do. I have been quoted on many occasions, particularly talking about ...
Mr Bell: Do you want to get rid of the Land Rights Act?
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr PERRON: ... disposing of the Land Rights Act.
Mr Lanhupuy: Good one! That is what we wanted to know.
Members interjecting.
Mr Stirling: That is what you said. For years, you said that you supported it.
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Mr Coulter: No, he did not.
Members interjecting.
Mr PERRON: Obviously, there is some confusion in the minds ...
Mr Ede: No confusion.
Mr Bailey: You want to get rid of land rights because it has created problems for you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: The point made by the minister was that, in many respects, the federal government has its foot on our neck - a phrase which has been used by a number of us over time. It is holding back the development of the Northern Territory. In relation to the current provisions of the federal Land Rights Act, I must say that that act, which is patronising to Aboriginals in a way that is detrimental to them, and that will be seen increasingly by them as such over time ...
Mr Ede: Wouldn't you say that it is patronising of you to make that decision on their behalf?
Mr PERRON: ... is not in the interests of the Northern Territory or of Aboriginal people. Fortunately, it is inevitable that there will be change. There will be constitutional reform in the Northern Territory and statehood eventually will be achieved. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to predict when that will occur. However, what will happen in that process is that this Legislative Assembly, the parliament of the people of the Northern Territory, will rightly be given jurisdiction over the Land Rights Act.
Mr Coulter: Absolutely!
Mr PERRON: Absolutely. That will happen.
We have stated on a number of occasions that we believe that amendments to the act would improve it significantly, including improving it for Aboriginal people by giving them greater control over their land than they have today. It would be interesting to know whether members opposite, in their supposed support for constitutional reform and statehood, foresee that a potential Labor government of the Northern Territory would seek to have the jurisdiction of that act transferred to the Northern Territory.
Mr Ede: We are on the record about a dozen times in that regard.
Mr PERRON: Whether it will be transferred with some protections in one form or another, who knows? However, if members opposite are saying that they see the Northern Territory moving to statehood without jurisdiction over 50% of the land mass of the Northern Territory being vested in this parliament ...
Mr Ede: No, we never said that.
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Mr PERRON: ... what kind of a statehood are they proposing for Territorians?
Mr Ede: He said that the sooner we get rid of the Land Rights Act and Mabo, the better. Do you support that or don't you?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: Obviously, the Territory parliament, the elected representatives of Territorians, ought to have the same jurisdictional powers over all of its affairs as do the state parliaments. Until that day comes, we will be constrained in terms of the economic development and tax-raising capacity of the Territory. That is what the minister was saying.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, obviously I do. I have been quoted on many occasions, particularly talking about ...
Mr Bell: Do you want to get rid of the Land Rights Act?
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr PERRON: ... disposing of the Land Rights Act.
Mr Lanhupuy: Good one! That is what we wanted to know.
Members interjecting.
Mr Stirling: That is what you said. For years, you said that you supported it.
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Mr Coulter: No, he did not.
Members interjecting.
Mr PERRON: Obviously, there is some confusion in the minds ...
Mr Ede: No confusion.
Mr Bailey: You want to get rid of land rights because it has created problems for you.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: The point made by the minister was that, in many respects, the federal government has its foot on our neck - a phrase which has been used by a number of us over time. It is holding back the development of the Northern Territory. In relation to the current provisions of the federal Land Rights Act, I must say that that act, which is patronising to Aboriginals in a way that is detrimental to them, and that will be seen increasingly by them as such over time ...
Mr Ede: Wouldn't you say that it is patronising of you to make that decision on their behalf?
Mr PERRON: ... is not in the interests of the Northern Territory or of Aboriginal people. Fortunately, it is inevitable that there will be change. There will be constitutional reform in the Northern Territory and statehood eventually will be achieved. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to predict when that will occur. However, what will happen in that process is that this Legislative Assembly, the parliament of the people of the Northern Territory, will rightly be given jurisdiction over the Land Rights Act.
Mr Coulter: Absolutely!
Mr PERRON: Absolutely. That will happen.
We have stated on a number of occasions that we believe that amendments to the act would improve it significantly, including improving it for Aboriginal people by giving them greater control over their land than they have today. It would be interesting to know whether members opposite, in their supposed support for constitutional reform and statehood, foresee that a potential Labor government of the Northern Territory would seek to have the jurisdiction of that act transferred to the Northern Territory.
Mr Ede: We are on the record about a dozen times in that regard.
Mr PERRON: Whether it will be transferred with some protections in one form or another, who knows? However, if members opposite are saying that they see the Northern Territory moving to statehood without jurisdiction over 50% of the land mass of the Northern Territory being vested in this parliament ...
Mr Ede: No, we never said that.
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Mr PERRON: ... what kind of a statehood are they proposing for Territorians?
Mr Ede: He said that the sooner we get rid of the Land Rights Act and Mabo, the better. Do you support that or don't you?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr PERRON: Obviously, the Territory parliament, the elected representatives of Territorians, ought to have the same jurisdictional powers over all of its affairs as do the state parliaments. Until that day comes, we will be constrained in terms of the economic development and tax-raising capacity of the Territory. That is what the minister was saying.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016